Sustaining the Status Quo
by Vialana
Summary: Slash and Het :: Secrets in shadows have a habit of shattering the light they spawn from. Robin should have practice with this sort of thing. DISCONTINUED
1. Consolation

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the series Teen Titans or any associated characters. This is just a fan fiction playing around with the DCU animated characters.**

_I just have one thing to say here: **Note the rating!!!** It's there for a good reason. There will be_ **sex, violence, swearing and other things (read: disturbing and unpleasant)**_ that will make you squirm. If you can't deal with some of the events in this story, I suggest _**NOT**_ reading further and finding something fluffy and plot-less to make you feel better._

_Those of you not deterred yet, continue on._

**Sustaining the Status Quo**

_Sometimes it's harder than you think it is to get what you want. Everything could be going your way and then WHAM! Out of nowhere comes a curve ball from your blind spot and you're seeing stars. Simple, almost innocuous, things they usually are: small gestures, silent looks, insightful quips, a single word._

_A name._

_What most people don't realise is that some curve balls can be lethal. Most cases it's for the receiver, but sometimes it's the pitcher that meets a sudden end. Though ripping a gaping hole in the ground and collapsing the grandstands on top of panicked spectators is fun too. Anything goes so long as you manage to get back up and resume playing with a vengeance._

_Sometimes it's also easier to wish you weren't at the bottom of the ninth, three home runs down no bases loaded and your worst batter on the plate. It's easy to delude yourself into thinking you could win earlier in the game when you might have still stood a chance had you impressed the other team and the crowd more. But at this point all illusions fade and the world starts to crumble. You have to face the fact that you're loosing the series._

_How you loathe the very sight of their victory dance. Bright colours swirling everywhere. Red and green mixing together so fast to form a blur of puke-brown._

_Why is it that _he_ always gets what he wants? He's the outsider; you're in the home colours, dammit! Why is it that you're always reminded of your secondary place? Never quite good enough for the sponsors, always reminded that you're just below _his_ standards. _

_Why is it always _him_ that gets the soft seductive whisper sent his way? Why is it _HIS_ name that gets called out in the heat of passion, instead of _YOURS?!

* * *

She'd gotten so used to the darkness by now that she didn't need to watch her step as she walked in. Overconfidence in assessing your physical situation was one of the first things he taught her to be wary of, but she thought she was safe enough here. She should have known better.

Barely managing to avoid having her nose broken with the impact of her head smashing against a wall, she stared up at her attacker with cold eyes.

"I thought I taught you better than that my dear."

She couldn't stop the shiver in her body hearing that disdainful hiss.A slow smirk crossed pale features, hiding her fear and using the adrenaline rushing through her system to spark other emotions. "You did," she leaned closer to him, still fully aware of his deadly hands so close to her thin neck. "Who's to say I didn't want you to pin me to the wall?"

The hand on her shoulder clenched tight then loosened and she pulled back, flicking her long hair back into place. She could feel his gaze on her, but pretended to ignore it. She knew it was dangerous, but that was the thrill of it all – not knowing if he'd kill her for her insubordination. Noticing the slight shift in shadows around his mouth, relief flooded her system. She wouldn't die tonight.

"I do hope you wouldn't be so careless around others."

"Of course not." Realising he was reprimanding her, she looked to the ground. "I was just playing."

"Playing." Well, he was in a good mood. "A game does sound like a rather enjoyable idea right now." He pulled away and moved further into the darkness, knowing she'd follow into the next room.

Closing the door and walking behind him, she stripped off her jacket and quickly braided her hair. "You're in alight humour. I'm assuming you caught tonight's show."

"I did. Poor little bird, he came so close – again."

Her features tightened slightly then she forcibly loosened her muscles and smirked. "That's always the case though, so close, but never capturing the prize." She slid her hands up his back and leaned in close as he stoped walking. "Of course it doesn't help him much that he can't see a good thing when it's pinning him to a wall." She knew what sort of response the caress of her voice in his ear would cause – though she did let out a slightly pained exhalation of breath as her back hit the smooth plaster behind her.

His hands were hard and firm – the only things keeping her upright and against the wall a few inches above the ground. His lips were just as hard. The kiss was rough and demanding, just like he was, but there was just a hint of a dark promise deep within the touch, sucking her in deeper to try and seek it out. Their kisses always ended the same, her panting and seeking his lips even as he pulled away with that damnable smirk of his. It should be illegal to be that appealing.

But, then again, she'd never really cared for laws in the first place.

She loved that amused glint in his dangerous eye. Like a sheen of melted water over thick ice. "You've got a fixation tonight."

She would have shrugged, but that would dislodge his grip … no, that wouldn't happen, she just wouldn't be able to shrug through his grip. Instead she licked her lips, drawing in as much of his taste that lingered on her as she could. "What can I say?" That pert mouth and sharp tongue was now causing some ever-so-delicious thoughts in both their minds. "You've always known I like it rough and I feel like doing something fun tonight."

He crushed her against the wall with his body, taking her breath away again with a sharp kiss, and let his hands run down her sides; intentionally causing her to shiver and press against him. A few quick movements and her pants were bunched around her ankles. Releasing her, he grabbed the edge of her shirt and pulled up as her knees buckled under her. Picking up the slight form around the waist, he threw her to the bed and smiled as he watched her momentary panic at the action transform to desire.

Clad in simple white undergarments, she stretched, pale stomach twisting as hips moved comfortably further into the mattress. Blowing stray blonde hairs from in front of her face, she watched him strip his shirt off, once again admiring the virile and muscular figure before her. She gripped the sheets beneath her almost involuntarily as he loomed over her, twisting her neck up to catch his eye.

"Fuck me like you want to hurt me."

Strong hands lashed out to tangle in the half-done braid and a small whimper trembled in the air. "My dear apprentice, I never said I _wasn't_ going to hurt you." The lips whispering sweet seduction into an eager ear turned to teeth tearing at the lobe.

A hiss escaped dark full lips. "Good," was the moaned reply as long-nailed fingers clawed up his strong shoulders to grasp at short white curls. There was no more discussion as the two moved in for a violent kiss that promised far more.

* * *

The glow was fading and the ache was starting to settle in now.

He'd gotten up once he'd caught his breath, cold and authoritative as always – save for the times like the one just before that dealt with their necessary passions. The moments that were becoming fewer as time moved along. She never wanted kind, false words of emotion from him, but she was not one to be pushed to the side so easily. He'd dismissed her, reminding her of her duties and telling her how _disappointed_ he'd be if she got her cover blown going back tonight. Like it was all her fault.

She was not a weak, easily manipulated little girl to be reprimanded in such a way, nor was she to be so easily left and ignored. She was powerful and strong and deserved to be recognised.

She was not second best.

There were echoes of his rough voice in her ears; deep and resonant with turbulent, anxious overtones that were so rarely heard. It was all because of her that he had been like that. Or so she thought. A cold feeling had swept through her, freezing her own passion as she heard his cry for what he most desired.

Clenching her teeth, she rose, almost hating the pleasing strain in her lower muscles for what it now represented to her. She couldn't look at the bed nor the sheets on the floor, crossing instead to the far side of the sparse room to the sterile bathroom stocked with everything she would need to cover up what just happened.

Her face twisted into a scowl as she stared at the spare costumes and clothing in the cupboard by the door. She wagered _he_ wouldn't have needed to cover up something like this; her master would have enjoyed watching _him_ explain it away to everyone.

Snatching a uniform she placed it on the vanity and moved to the shower, the water scorching and the heat soothing to her body, if not her thoughts. She felt so hollow – not that she _wanted_ emotional ties – it was a disturbing feeling, almost as bad at the rage she felt at being used and shunted away again. She wasn't hurt though, no not hurt – couldn't get hurt when there was no emotion involved – it was purely all because of what it symbolised.

That she was still the consolation prize.

The taps twisted and almost broke under her grip as she turned the spray off. Barely able to see in the thick steam she moved to the vanity and grabbed the towel to the side, wiping at the mirror above the sink before drying her body off. As the final wisps of steam dispersed, she looked up in the mirror.

A lithe figured cloaked in shadows stared back.

Growling, she punched the mirror, shattering it.

She'd make sure that smug expression turned to terror and that pretty face was scarred and bloody. And those eyes … she looked forward to ripping his shadows away and watching the horror reflect in his eyes. She could almost hear the screams now.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing you break Boy Wonder."


	2. Shaking the Ladder

There were certain things that really annoyed perfectionists. Actually, a lot of things, but certain things in particular pissed them off more than anything else. Especially if you considered what line of work they were in.

Getting his ass pounded and having the bad guy get away while he was immobile was not something that made Robin a chirpy birdie. Listening in on the Titans' frequency as he heard his friends fighting without him was almost as bad as getting beaten up all over again. He knew they'd take this week's feature creature down, but the fact that even one of them got injured – even slightly – irked him. Intellectually he knew that losses and injuries were part and parcel of the superhero gig, but in his heart he couldn't completely accept that. They were the good guys; they were supposed to win without a hitch.

Hm. Batman mustn't have completely destroyed all of his romantic ideals. Either that or his ego couldn't accept that he and his team weren't perfect. Both concepts weren't ones he wanted to admit to, but the disappointed feeling in his gut let him know that something was really bothering him and he wouldn't let it go until he'd worked it out.

For now though, he'd just lay here, listening in and feeling worse and worse as his team struggled to bring in the bad guy. That is, he'd try to stay conscious enough to listen in.

"Urgh … Robin?"

Blinking behind his mask, the dark-haired teen shifted his head slightly then hissed. Terra's eyes widened at the pain-filled sound and crawled closer. "I'm sorry," she gushed, "I just wanted to know if you were okay." She laughed, a sound hollow and full of disgust. "Stupid question huh?"

Robin sighed. "Terra, it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. I messed up again." She sat up with a wince and laid her head back against the wall beside Robin.

They were both still inside one of Slade's underground bunkers to which the team had traced a radioactive signal beforehand. Slade himself had slipped away, but not before another of his unintelligent, easily-manipulated, brutish minions had gotten away with the highly radioactive material with which to threaten the town.

Even without the concussion Robin wasn't sure he would have been able to perfectly recall all the events from earlier – everything happened so fast and all at once. He'd barely heard the others scream for his help, all his attention on Slade, though the Boy Wonder never managed to lay a hand on the older villain. That taunting voice still haunted his thoughts even _now_.

Slade had knocked him to the ground and as he gasped for breath he heard Terra's scream cutting through everything. He twisted his head to see a beam catch her on the back. Then the ground rumbled and everything fell apart. Slade must have escaped while he was distracted, for when his vision cleared and the dust finally settled only he and Terra were trapped behind the collapsed entrance, injured and useless.

"Accidents happen." Terra winced and turned away. Robin looked up at her and felt a little guilty. He wasn't completely sure if he was just saying that to placate her. She seemed unsure of his meaning as well.

"I'm sorry." She curled up, beside him, hugging her knees to her chest. He'd noticed she did that often when she felt insecure about something. He tried to reach out to her, but his shoulder flared and he yelled out, head slamming back on the ground. It was possible he'd dislocated the limb.

"Robin!" His vision was a white blur and the figure above him appeared only a little like the Titans' newest recruit. She sounded worried, but he couldn't see her face. Soft skin gently traced up his arm, probing just outside the injured area. He winced, gasping as the pain increased slightly, but he tried not to shake too much at the touch, knowing Terra was just trying to help.

He couldn't help the scream as she touched directly over the injury. He couldn't see a thing now, screwing his eyes shut so tightly that tears leaked over the edge of his mask. She was just trying to help, she was just trying to help, she was just …

He blinked, darkness still crowding the edges of his vision. He was seeing double and he wasn't completely sure he knew what four and seven added to. His ears rang with a very annoying whine; he thought he smelled mildew and stale air and, judging from the slightly metallic sensation in his mouth, he considered the possibility that he had bitten his tongue. The concussion was making it hard to concentrate and be certain of anything, but he thought his senses were still attuned. That is, until he felt the tingle of his skin; sensations leading in a trail down his chest.

Robin shivered. The light impression was not unpleasant – quite the opposite in fact. Too pleasing, if truth be told. He shouldn't be experiencing this, he knew he had to keep his mind elsewhere, but concentrating on anything was hard, it was far too easy to fall into the sensation of sliding fabric and nimble fingers dancing over his torso.

And then …

"Oh god." A groan, and he arched his back. He needed to be closer.

Vision clouded and the ringing grew louder, but this was all his mind could comprehend – the touch of fingers and the damp sensuality of a tongue tasting the skin stretched over his lower abdomen, suckling and advancing further.

A whimper, there was little else you could call the needy sound. Breathing grew heavier, laboured, anxious … Anticipation hung heavy in the air with every groan. The silence shattered with the echoes bouncing off the walls, colliding with each other and creating a louder furore of resonance, intensifying with every second.

It made him cry out – the impact on his senses. All the outside stimuli rushed towards him, crowding and taking him off-guard. Sweat broke out on his face, his body grew heavy and he clutched at what he could, fingers grappling at the loose sliding rock he lay upon. His vision was dark, tinged with red – the light shining too bright on his eyelids, even hidden behind the mask. The air was scented with so much – he could almost taste it all. Licking at a stray drop of sweat beading on his lip he knew he could taste himself in the air. He could almost taste her as well.

The wave slowly receded, his mind slowing back down to a stuttering pace, his breath catching up to him in pants. He gulped in air to clear away the darkness in his peripheral vision, but it wasn't working. The sensations, minor oxygen deprivation and all the pressure on his mind … he was starting to black out. He felt so weak and spent. He tried to say something, but only a fragile gasp emerged. Fighting the pain and lethargy, he glanced down.

Azure eyes glinted through a curtain of gold below him … above him … around him. His mind whirled and his head fell back against the ground, eyes sliding closed again. He gave in to the last shuddering sensations, allowing them to embrace his inner being before completely giving way to the darkness pushing at him.

* * *

Robin awoke to pain.

Hands were on his shoulders, firmly shaking him, but also gentle enough to cause little harm. He opened his eyes and winced, turning his head to the side and inhaling sharply. The pain was so intense, like he'd gone three long rounds with Cinderblock with all his limbs tied. He let himself reorient for a minute or more … he couldn't tell.

"Robin?" He turned his head slowly, knowing sharp movements wouldn't be in his best interests right now. Terra wore an expression of devastation mingled with tired relief. Her eyes glittered and she managed a weary smile for him through the dust on her face. "Thank god you're awake," she breathed, voice tight with emotion. "I was just so worried."

Robin nodded, not sure what to make of everything.

"I was looking at your injury," she rambled on, twisting a long lock of limp hair through her fingers feverishly. "You had dislocated your shoulder like you thought and I was seeing what I might have been able to do. I'd seen someone put a shoulder back into place and I knew you couldn't leave it too long else there might be real damage so I thought I should put it back in place but you screamed and went so limp when I did it and you passed out again." A tear fell, the first drop that set off a flood. "I-I was just s-so worried," she stuttered through sobs. "Y-you're not supposed t-to go to sleep wh-when you've got a c-concussion. You w-wouldn't wake up when I c-called or t-touched you. I didn't w-want to hurt you, b-but you w-wouldn't wake up."

Robin reached out to touch her arm, but stopped, overwhelmed by a sudden onslaught of images and feelings that made him violently sick to the stomach. His heavy gauntlet just managed to hide his shaking, and he was glad for the mask. Desire, disgust, fear – they roiled through him and his body reacted accordingly to the mere sight of his frightened, oblivious team mate.

"I-is something wrong?" Terra was biting her lip.

He shook his head, making himself dizzy again. "I'm fine," he croaked. He couldn't afford to lose it now – not like this. Not with her. He was just so completely shaken up by the events of the day.

Terra still didn't look completely convinced of his health, and more tears filled her eyes. Wincing, Robin reached up, hesitating again, but steeling himself against the unwelcome reaction he was having to her presence. But the images still came to his mind … he could swear all his senses recalled —

He could still barely touch her arm in comfort for more than a moment.

The sounds of rubble shifting on the other side of the room translated to a five tonne weight being lifted from his chest. He snapped his gaze to the doorway and the faint green glow of Starfire's energy bolts.

"Robin! Terra!" And she was there, poking her head through, huge green eyes filled with worry, then lighting up with relief and happiness as she saw them safe, though a hint of concern remained at the state she found them in.

The sinking feeling increased in his stomach as he watched her race towards them. The weight returned; this time doubled in size. After letting the tall alien girl fuss over him for a while, he turned away, watching the others enter. He winced and bowed his head as soon as a small green ferret pushed his nose through the rubble. Doubting that the others saw the quick movement, he glanced up through his fringe, but none looked at him askance.

A quick patch-up job from Raven accompanied by searching look from the depths of her indigo eyes and they were set, the lanky Boy Wonder growing increasingly more lethargic with every step, now that he knew everything was quite well. Before he could stumble and re-injure himself, Cyborg caught him and, with Raven's help, carried him to the car.

He wasn't able to meet Beast Boy's eyes throughout the entire trip.


	3. Healthy Intrigue

_Chapter has been betaed, this is the updated version. Enjoy._

* * *

He was sitting in the darkened main room, the screens upon the walls displaying the latest statistics of the Titans. Though appearing to concentrate exclusively on the huge screens, Terra knew that Slade was aware of everything that went on around him. That was the only reason he was still unmasked. Still, if he was willing to play it as if he hadn't seen her, who was she to ruin his fun? 

She snuck up behind him and slid her hands through his hair. Tara was fascinated by his white curls. He wasn't all that old really and, anyway, age didn't matter when you looked this good. She felt him lean back into the touch andhis gaze settled ontheir reflections in the screen. He was quite pleased; odd, considering that he was interested only in the Titan most hurt in the latest scuffle.

"Did you enjoy tonight's event?" she whispered.

Reaching around behind him, Slade tugged on her arm, drawing the girl into his lap. "Thoroughly," he purred. "Though I'm curious to know what went on with you and the young detective in my cave. When he came out, young Robin appeared quite bewildered."

Terra smirked. "We had some fun." She grabbed his ear and tugged his head forward, licking her way into his mouth. "A lot of fun," she breathed against his lips.

Slade's eye bore into hers as she kissed him. He was still only for a moment then his tongue slid against hers and his hands grasped at her back desperately. With a muffled shriek Tara found herself on the floor, her master above her, pinning her to the ground and grinding, attacking her mouth with more fervour then she had ever encountered from him. It was all the earth manipulator could do to stay afloat in the stormy sea of feelings that Slade was eliciting inside her.

He tore her hand from his hair, pinning it above her head, the hand clutching at his chest receiving similar treatment. Ripping his mouth away from hers, he allowed her to gasp for breath as heraked his teeth down her neck. She whimpered, wincing at his viciousness – she could taste blood whenever she moved her tongue and her lips were almost too swollen to allow sound to pass. In spite of that her body was alight and she rode every wave of sensation, wanting nothing more than for their bodies to fuse and slake her desire.

Yet just as she was about to erupt, he stopped and rose above her, still on four limbs. His left eye stabbed at her, the emptiness of his right making everything seem even colder. Tara shuddered, unable to hold backher fear.

The villain leaned closer to her, breath brushing her cheek and caressing her ear as he ordered, "Do not touch Robin again." He kissed her cheek, the gentleness of the action causing her eyes to widen further in dread. "Pleasure is mine alone to give and take."

Before she could blink he was gone from above her, striding towards the door,cold fury icing the room. He was still such an enigma. His rage, while not easily discerned, was still far clearer than his words. Terra could not tell if the subject of his last comment was her, or Robin.

* * *

The Boy Wonder was never one to give much away, but if you knew how to look and what to look for, then he was an open book. It was a multitude of little things which, when you added them all together, told you exactly what was going through his mind. 

He winced – just a twitch of the mask – whenever Starfire addressed him with a smitten smile and tried to ignore her more obvious attempts at bonding. When she touched him, his shoulders would tighten, and he would refuse to loosen up for the duration of the tactile communication.

He was worse around Beast Boy. His lips would press together, the colour fading from them whenever he caught sight of the green changeling. His fingers would curl and his brow narrowed slightly whenever Beast Boy spoke to him, and he usually refused any sort of major interaction with the other teen. If conversation threatened to become too long or involved, he would deflect attention to one of the other members.

Cyborg was perhaps the only one in the tower Robin could look in the eye and talk to normally – even those talks were strained.

Raven's empathy wasn't something he dared risk. Not that Raven was all that into socialising in the first place, but when she was around he spent as little time in her presence as possible. He avoided touch at all costs.

And whenever _she_ was in the room … well, he found it hard to drag his eyes away. He was never obvious about it and she never really caught him staring whenever she glanced his way, but she was rather adept at using her peripheral vision. He'd never talk to her, though. At most he'd get as close to tongue-tied as was possible for him and mumble excuses to leave the room when they were alone. He tried to act as normal as possible with the others, but she unnerved him far too much simply by standing in his vision.

It was perfect.

* * *

Terra moved into the main area of the Titans Tower cautiously. It was late, and Cyborg had shut down all the systems hours ago, leaving this room in darkness. Still, with Beast Boy around it was better to be safe – who knows what hemight have leftlying around on the floor. Making her way into the relative safety of the kitchenette, she poked around in the fridge, attempting toseem unaware of the eyes following her every movement. 

She sighed dramatically and held the fridge door open for light as she turned to a nearby cupboard. She gasped and stumbled back as he vision fell upon a figure nearby.

"Robin!" She held a hand to her chest. "You startled me."

"S-Sorry." He lowered his head and started to fade back into the shadows.

"Wait!" Terra moved over to him, the door closing and casting the room into darkness again, though moonlight still filtered through the large windows overlooking the bay. It was enough light to distinguish Robin's shape from the rest of the shadows. Grabbing his shoulder, Terra pulled back as he flinched violently. "I … Did you want something?" she whispered.

"I, uh, no." Robin continued to move away.

"Have I done something to offend you?" Her voice was quiet, quivering. She looked pitiful in the dim light, eyes wide and misty. Robin stopped and looked to the ground.

"N-No," he replied softly, almost hesitantly.

"I have. You're avoiding me – you can barely talk to me." Her shoulders hunched; she turned away. "I've done something horrible, haven't I?"

"Of course not."

"Then why won't you talk to me? You can't even look at me. Ever since …" she gasped and took a step back. "Ever since the cave-in. You still hate me for that, don't you?"

"Terra, no!" Robin rushed towards her, but she moved out of his grasp.

"You do. You hate me! You don't think I'm worthy of being on the team – just like before." Sobbing, she ran towards the main door, unlocking it.

"No, Terra, wait!" Robin raced after her, following her out of the Tower, barely remembering to lock it behind him in his haste to follow his distraught team-mate. Terra was already quite far ahead of him, flying away on a large rock towards the mainland. Robin was never one to let his team mates down. Terra was counting on that.

He eventually managed to catch up with thegirl on his cycle. Terra was sitting on the end of a dock in the seaside warehouse district, legs curled up to her chest as she sobbed. Robin approached cautiously, making enough noise to be noticed, soas not tostartle her. He was so easy to predict.

"Terra?" Terra didn't look up, just flinched slightly. "I'm sorry."

"So you admit you hate me, then?"

"No." Robin sat down beside her. "Of course not. I don't hate you. I'm sorry I ever gave you that impression."

"You avoid me, and you won't talk to me. You haven't since the cave-in."

"I know. And I'm sorry." Terra looked up at him. Robin was upset about something, having trouble saying anything more. "I do like you, believe me." He sounded so earnest. "I, uh,don't really have any explanation for my actions towards you."

"It hurt," she whispered. "I've been trying so hard, but you never notice. Sometimes I feel like I'm not even there. I feel that no matter what I do – even if I achieve the best I can – you won't see because there's always someone better than me out there for you to pay attention to." She looked directly at him. "I'll never be good enough for you, will I?"

"I notice you," Robin protested. "I know you're good, and I know how hard you try."

"It's still never enough, though. You're so perfect; compared to you I'm nothing. Everything you do is amazing. You never mess up, you're always right and good. Sometimes I wish I was more like you." Terra leaned over and placed her head on Robin's shoulder, knowing just how her words would affect the Boy Wonder.

He shifted and tried to pull back, but she had a tight grip on his arm. "I'm far from perfect," he whispered, voice taut with disgust. "I make terrible mistakes and I'm not as good as you like to think." He managed to escape her grasp only to find his companion looking up at him curiously, with wide, innocent eyes. He swallowed. "You don't want to be like me, Terra."

She frowned. "Maybe we're both a little misunderstood. I still wish I was more like you, though."

"I wish I could be who you want me to be," he whispered. Clearing his throat he looked back down at her. "Um, I ... I'm truly sorry if I've made you feel inadequate in any way. It was never my intent to hurt you, Terra." His fingers brushed through her hair. She settled in closer to him.

They sat watching the still waters for a while before Terra spoke again. "I think I know a way you can make it up to me." She glanced up eagerly before looking back down in embarrassment. If you don't mind that is, you'll probably think it's silly. See, there's this place I really want to go to, but I need a date."

Robin's hand stilled at the last word, but he returned her smile. "Anything you want, Terra."

She smiled. "You're the best, Robin." She tugged him up off the damp wood and pulled him towards the mist-shrouded warehouses. "I know we'll have a great time."

"So, where are we headed anyway?"

Her grin was concealed by the darkness. "It's a secret."


End file.
